


One Way or Another

by BradburyTheQueen



Series: Fate of Remnant [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Atlas - Freeform, Created for RPG, F/M, Fate Core System, Grimm Campaign, Major Original Character(s), RWBY Freeform, RWBY OCs, Team VLKRY, World of Remnant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27779785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BradburyTheQueen/pseuds/BradburyTheQueen
Summary: Valerianella Verde wanted to attend Olympus Academy, the militarized Huntsman school owned by Aurelius Royal, encouraged by her friend and fiancé, Edmund Royal. She has been training in secret with Edmund over the years to prepare for this moment. When she is met with resistance from her mother, she is forced to do what she must to make her dreams of becoming a Huntress a reality.
Relationships: Valerianella Verde/Edmund Royal
Series: Fate of Remnant [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032285





	One Way or Another

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as a scene for our RWBY Fate Core game. There is one work so far that precedes this one, Aura Activation, and one work so far that follows this one, The Making of Team VLKRY. This work was created with input and additions from the person who plays Edmund Royal.
> 
> Just for clarity, Valerianella prefers to go by Nell, but her mother calls her Val, which Nell hates, or by her full name. Also, the argument with Gothel is based on the opening scenes of Tangled, which I modified for the story.

“This is it. I’m finally going to do it. I’m going to ask her.” Valerianella said to herself, looking in the mirror, a smile stretched across her face. She had been working herself up to this for weeks, if not months. Having been training secretly with Edmund when possible over the past two years, she felt ready for the upcoming entrance exams for Olympus Academy. She felt like she could take on a creature of Grimm at the moment, which was an apt comparison to facing her mother.

She headed out of her room and down the hall towards the dining room. As she headed down the halls and stairs, she smiled and gave small waves to the staff she passed along the way, sometimes greeting them by name. She strolled into the dining room to find her mother already seated at the head of the table, invested in spreadsheets, surrounded by miscellaneous breakfast items set out by Coral, the head butler.

Nell practically skipped to sit down next to her mother, who barely seemed to glance up.

“Good morning, Mother!” 

“Hello, Val. Nice of you to finally join me.” She said, laying her spreadsheet flat on the table.

“Well, Mother, as you know tomorrow is a very big day!”

“The buyout of a Dust company in Argus is going through this week. Look at these projections.” She shoved the sheet across the table. “Our profits in Argus will nearly triple!”

“That isn’t really what I…”

“There is so much to gain from this merger. It also turns over the Atlesian Dust supply contract to Dust Co., which is something we have been working towards for years.”

“So, Mother, I was saying tomorrow’s a pretty big day, and you didn't really respond. So I'm just going to tell you... It's my birthday! TADA!”

“No, no, no. Can't be. I distinctly remember. Your birthday was last year.”

“That's the funny thing about birthdays. They're kind of an annual thing. Mother, I'm turning seventeen. And I wanted to ask, what I really want for this birthday. Actually, what I’ve wanted for… quite a few birthdays now…”

“Val, please, stop with the mumbling. You know how I feel about the mumbling. Blah, blah, blah… It's very annoying.” She said as she rolled her eyes, “I'm just teasing. You're adorable. I love you so much, darling.”

“I want to go to Olympus Academy.” Nell said, quickly and firmly with an encouraging smile.

“What?” Gothel asked, not making it clear one way or the other if she was just meaning for Nell to repeat herself or if she was confused by the request.

Nell took a small breath and, a bit slower, said, “I was hoping you would let me go to Olympus Academy.”

“Ah, yes, we can make an appointment to visit. I’m sure there is some business to attend to with Aurelius.”

“That’s the thing, Mother. I don’t mean to visit. I mean to attend the school. It would be a great opportunity to develop strategy and skills that would benefit Dust Co. I know that attending would benefit me. It’s a much more structured and practical experience than simply being instructed here in Verde Manor by a business professor.”

“You want to go to a Huntsman school? Oh, why Valerianella. Look at you, as fragile as a flower. Still a little sapling, just a sprout. You know why you stay in the Manor when you aren’t with me and at least a handful of Olympian guards.”

“I know, but…”

She reached across the table to hold Nell’s hands in hers. “That's right, to keep you safe and sound, dear. Well… I guess I always knew this day was coming. Knew that soon you'd want to leave the nest. Soon, but not just yet.” She gave Nell’s hands a pat before releasing them.

“But..”

“Shhh… Trust me, Mother knows best.” She leaned forward, demanding Nell’s attention. “Listen to your Mother. It's a scary world out there. One way or another, something will go wrong. I swear. Ruffians, thugs, disturbed faunus, creatures of Grimm.” She leaned back in her chair, feigning distress. “Stop... No more... You'll just upset me.”

She paused for a moment before continuing her tirade. “Darling, here's what I suggest. Skip the drama, stay with Mama. On your own, you won't survive. I'm just saying this because I love you.” She reached across to give Nell’s face a gentle caress. “I understand and I am here to help you. All I have is one request... Valerianella?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t ever ask to go to the Academy again.”

Nell’s hopes crashed to the ground around her. “Yes, Mother.”

“Ahh, I love you very much, dear.” She leaned over and kissed Nell on the crown of her head. “I'll see you in a bit, my darling.”

“I'll be here.”

Gothel smiled, turned, and departed from the room, leaving Nell behind with a breakfast she didn’t think she could stomach at the moment.

Nell sulked back to her room. She had to figure out a way to convince her mother that she was capable of handling herself. If Edmund thought she could do it, then Nell knew that she could. This was something she had been thinking about for years. All of the sneaking out to meet with Edmund, having secret training sessions, and developing her Aura had been to prepare her for the entrance exam that was quickly approaching.

Nell spent the next few hours in her room, thinking of ways that she could prove to her mother that she wasn’t the delicate flower that she sees her to be. Telling her mother about training with Edmund would probably put him in some hot water, but Edmund wasn’t really one to fear being burned in that sense.

While she thought, she pulled out a canvas and some paint and set herself up in her mini art studio in the corner of her bedroom. She wasn’t painting anything in particular as she added and blended colors making her way across the canvas with her brush.

At midday, Coral came bearing some comfort food for Nell. “I know you didn’t eat breakfast this morning. I’m sorry, but I may have overheard your conversation with your mom.” She placed the tray on the table in the seating area.

“Oh.” Nell put down her paints and walked over to take a seat. With eyebrows raised, she gestured for Coral to have a seat as well.

“Oh, no, I can’t. I just want to say, Happy early birthday, and... I hope you get your birthday wish in one way or another.”

“Thanks, Coral. I really appreciate that.” Nell was able to manage half a smile as her mind mulled over the comment.

“I need to start prepping for dinner. Gothel will be expecting you at supper at 5:00 PM, after which she will be leaving for Argus.” Coral did a little curtsy and excused herself from the room.

Realizing how hungry she was, Nell ate much of the food that Coral graciously brought up.

The more Nell thought about it, the more she affirmed to herself that this was what she wanted. That she would prove to her mother that she could handle herself.

Nell headed down early for dinner with her mother. She sat in her usual chair and waited for her mom to arrive.

Gothel entered the room and immediately upon laying eyes on Nell she exclaimed, “I have a big surprise!”

“Uh, I do too.” Nell said, a little nervous but still determined.

In a sing-song voice, Gothel declared, “Oh, I bet my surprise is bigger.”

“I seriously doubt it" said Nell with an undertone of snark that goes unnoticed by her mother. She will prove herself.

“I’ve been invited to meet with the Atlesian Dust contractors, not just for their Argus property, but for their other properties in Mistral as well! Surprise!”

Unfazed, Nell continued, “Well Mother, there's something I want to tell you.”

“Oh Valerianella, you know I hate leaving you after a fight. Especially when I've done absolutely nothing wrong.” She sat down at the head of the table and looked to Nell, probably expecting some kind of apology.

Nell brushed off the comment and tried her best to continue, “Okay, I've been thinking a lot about what you said, earlier…”

"I hope you're not still talking about going to that school.”

“Olympus Academy, and, yes, I'm leading up to that.”

“Because I really thought we dropped the issue, sweetheart.” She waved to Coral to bring in the first course.

“No Mother, I'm just saying, you think I'm not strong enough to handle myself out there...”

“Oh darling, I know you're not strong enough to handle yourself out there.” Gothel put her hand over her heart.

“But if you just…”

“Valerianella, we're done talking about this.” Gothel waved Nell off.

Frustration rising, Nell continued to try and get through, “But trust me, I’ve been…”

“Valerianella.”

“...developing my Aur...”

“Valerianella---.”

Nell threw her hands in the air. “Oh, come on.”

Gothel stood from her chair to loom over Nell as she raised her voice, “ENOUGH WITH OLYMPUS, VALERIANELLA! YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS MANOR, EVER!” Gothel’s voice boomed through the room as she emphasized the last word and Nell shrank down into her seat, losing her nerve. Nell knew it was an exaggeration, but it felt so final.

“Oh, great. Now I'm the bad guy.”

“All I was gonna say, Mother, is that…” Nell paused as she tried to work her way out of it. “I know what I want for my birthday, now.”

“And what is that?” Gothel asked, exasperated.

“New paint?” She paused and then elaborated, “That paint that was infused with Dust made from that specialist you met in Kuchinashi.”

“Well that is a very long trip, Valerianella. It will add almost 3 days to my business trip.”

“I just thought it was a better idea than Olympus.”

Gothel nodded and turned her attention to the food in front of her. She picked up her utensils and then looked over to Nell, “You sure you'll be alright, on your own?”

Nell didn’t look up at her mother as she said, “I know I'm safe, as long as I'm here.”

They ate the rest of their meal in near silence.

When Gothel finished her meal, she proclaimed, “I'll be back in six days time. I love you very much, dear.”

“I know, Mother. I love you, too.” The words felt empty. Nell felt empty.

She finished her meal, thanked Coral, and made her way back up to her room. She stormed straight over to the canvas she had been working on and smashed it into the hardwood floor. She pulled out her hidden training materials that she had snuck in and camouflaged to fit in among her canvases and portfolio cases. She pulled out one of her daggers and started cutting up her remaining canvases. Nell was beyond herself. Tears streamed down her face as she destroyed any art supplies she came across, destroying her mini art studio.

Before she realized, the sun had set and she found herself sitting, surrounded by broken canvases, smashed paint tubes, and broken drawing utensils. Her dress was splattered with paint and stained with charcoal. Her room was illuminated only by the glow of the moon and the distant light from Olympus Academy, which could be seen from her tall bedroom windows.

She desperately wished she could talk to Edmund. Nell had run out of tears. It was time to figure it out on her own. She couldn’t live like this anymore. Trapped in this manor, under her mother’s thumb. She turned the dagger over in her hand. The knife felt balanced as she comfortably twirled it around. Over her time secretly training with Edmund, she had always found comfort in the grip of the short blade in contrast to the pull of a bow. The bow was Edmund’s weapon, not hers.

She threw it across to the map she had on her wall. It landed in the middle of Anima.

One way or another.

It dawned on Nell that Olympus wasn’t her only option. There was Atlas Academy, but it was too close. Haven Academy was well within reach of her mother’s deep seeded connections in Kuchinashi. There was Shade Academy which would be difficult to get to and Nell knew that with the abysmal relations that Vacuo has with Dust Companies, she doubted that her attendance would go over well. Beacon Academy seemed to be her best and only option.

Nell decided it would be worth it to try and give Edmund a call. She dialed his number, but the call never went through. She knew that Edmund would be out of reach this week, but she was still filled with disappointment when the call failed. It would be all on Nell to pull this off.

She cleaned herself off. She would have to stay in the manor for at least her birthday and wait until her mother was physically as far away as possible to give her an ample head start. This would take planning and time was of the essence.

She began by packing up her training materials and the clothes she would take with her. She had to pack light. She hid the packed bag among other bags in her closet where the cleaning staff wouldn’t give it a second glance. She tried to clean up as much of the mess as she could to minimize the work it would take for them to clean the studio.

The following day, Nell enjoyed special meals and a few small gifts from staff who had known it was her birthday. She appreciated every one of them, especially because they weren’t spectacular; hand-made woolen socks, a purple scarf, a magenta hat, a string bracelet, and simple cards.

She went about her business as usual, attending meals and inviting Coral to join her when possible. Coral was her confidant in that she was one of the few people who knew that Nell would sneak out through the kitchens to visit Edmund. Any time she had been caught by another staff member, Coral had been able to smooth it over and keep Nell from getting into trouble with her mother.

Nell did not want Coral involved in her escape. The day after Nell’s birthday, she suggested that Coral take the night off. She didn’t give Coral a reason why beyond being thankful for her service and that she deserved a night off. Relentless, Coral eventually agreed to Nell’s request.

The stage was set. There were just two things left that needed to be handled before departing. Money and Edmund. The money part would be easy. She snuck a few thousand Lien out of the safe in her mother’s office, which was barely a drop in the bucket of her mother’s wealth. Edmund would be the difficult part. She considered trying to call him again, but decided against it.

He would probably never forgive her for this, but she decided to write a letter. She cried over the paper as she wrote it. It was impossible to convey the sorrow she felt in leaving him behind. She wanted him to know that this was something she had to do, that she fiercely hoped this wouldn’t make him hate her.

They had been friends for so long and with their engagement… Well, that would have to be called off. Edmund’s ambitions and Nell’s reality now clashed in ways that made Nell’s heart ache. She couldn’t dare to hope that Edmund would come after her, even though that is what she wished above all.

No matter what, she would always love him. 

She tried to keep the letter as short as possible and convey the importance that this stayed between them. He would be the only one who she told her plan to.

She put the letter in her packed bag. Then, she went downstairs to have her final meal in the Manor. Coral was thankfully not there, so Nell knew that worse comes to worst, Coral could not be held responsible for her escape.

In her place was one of the men from the kitchen staff who had volunteered to take her shift. He was quick and quiet as he served her meal and did not engage her in conversation, which Nell was somewhat thankful for. She was running through a mental checklist to make sure she had everything prepped and ready to go.

She waited until night had fallen and she made her way through the mostly empty manor. She stealthed her way down to the half-lit kitchen. She was about to exit the door to freedom when it opened from the other side. Coral jumped when she almost ran directly into Nell.

“Woah! What are you doing down here?” Coral looks confused and concerned. “Did you come down for a snack?” She turns and flips on the light, allowing her to see Nell dressed to leave. “Where are you headed?

This was one thing that Nell hadn’t planned for. She didn’t know how to answer so she simply said, “I can’t tell you.”

“Nell, right now is not the time to go running off to visit Edmund. The campus is pretty empty right now, anyway.” She points in the direction of Olympus Academy, over her shoulder, with her thumb. “I got a good look on my walk over. I forgot to pick up my paycheck from my mailbox.” 

“I’m not going to visit Edmund.” Nell confessed, looking down at her feet. 

Coral seemed genuinely confused. “Nell, sweetie, where are you planning on going?”

Nell had hoped to avoid involving Coral, but now she had no choice. Tears welled up in her eyes. She could let her be an accomplice and leave her in the wake of her mother’s wrath or make it so that Coral would still live to see tomorrow. Either way, Coral was about to get hurt.

“I’m sorry.” Nell said, walking over to the counter beside where Coral was standing.

“For what?” Coral said, reaching out to Nell.

“For this.” Nell picked up a cast iron frying pan and hit Coral in the head, knocking her out cold as the sound from the strike reverberated through the kitchen and she collapsed to the tile.

She put the pan back on the counter. Nell apologized several times more as she slid Coral’s unconscious body out of sight, even though she couldn’t be heard. Hopefully she wouldn’t remember how she got the nasty knot forming on the side of her head. Nell slid a bag of ice under her head as she laid her down in the corner of the pantry.

Regretfully she made her way towards the door. Nell made the trek through the back garden, down the path she had basically made herself that leads from the Manor to Olympus Academy. She waited for the guards to make their perimeter rounds before sneaking through the campus to the dorm. With the end of the semester and it being so late at night, the halls of the dorms were empty. Cadets were either out on missions, studying for final exams, or sleeping.

Nell opened the door to the barracks that Edmund would normally sleep in. She swiftly and silently entered the dark and desolate room. She headed directly to the back of the room near the window where she knew his bed to be. Edmund’s cot was perfectly made with the corners tucked in. 

She quietly swung her bag around and pulled the letter out of the pocket. She held it in her hands and stared at it for a moment. She took a deep breath and placed the envelope on Edmund’s pillow. As she placed it down, she noticed something peeking out from beneath the pillow. She lifted the pillow to find a small box tied shut with a silver bow and a small tag that said, “Valerianella,” on it.

Edmund had said that he was getting her a birthday present, but that she would have to wait until he returned from his mission to receive it. She pulled off the ribbon and lifted the lid of the small box to reveal a silver bow and arrow pin. She held it in her palm like it was the most fragile thing she’d ever possessed. She wrapped it back up and placed it strategically in her bag to keep it as safe as possible.

She replaced the envelope to be where the present was once hidden, barely peeking out from under the pillow.

This is the hardest thing Valerianella has ever had to do. Leaving the one person she deeply cares for -- loves. The one person who ever encouraged her to be more, to dream of a life outside the walls of Verde Manor. Edmund may never know the gift that he gave her, the courage to trust herself and take steps towards a life beyond Dust Co., beyond her mother. The pin doesn’t even compare to that gift, but she will hold it dear.

Nell snuck her way off campus, easily avoiding the Olympus guards that move like clockwork. She headed in the direction of Atlas to hitch a ride to Vale. She gave one last look at the Academy she has been looking at from her bedroom window for her whole life. Nell shook her head as the tears threatened to well up in her eyes. She quickly turned and headed on her way, head down, not bearing to look back again.

With her braid hidden in the back of her jacket, her backpack covering the lump, and a hat covering her hair and shading her face, nobody gave her a second look. She headed to the airship port and purchased a red-eye ticket that would take her to Vale.

Nell kept her head down, terrified that if she made eye contact with a single person, they would recognize her and take her home. She managed to keep calm and centered herself.

The ship took off, flew for a few hours, and landed, surprisingly without a hitch. 

Nell was unbelievably relieved when she finally stepped foot in Vale, but she didn’t feel like she could breathe until she finally reached Beacon, her new home.


End file.
